Mitschrift

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Adult and university education 19 – 99 years
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When our parents were young, it was common to think that the education and training you have completed would last for a lifetime. Today, things are different. The working world is changing rapidly and requirements are increasing. Lifelong learning is becoming more and more important. For this reason, Vienna offers you a broad range of further education opportunities.

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waff – Advisory Services and Further Education
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waff is the first place to go when you want to get ahead in your career. It offers financial support and helps you with completing an apprenticeship, taking the Berufsreifeprüfung or university entrance exam for holders of vocational qualifications, or taking the Matura or university entrance exam. waff also advises you when you want to retrain or find a new job and helps you to re-enter the labour market. 

Let’s look at two examples: Myriam is a mother of 2 children. She has been on maternity leave for two years and is now looking for a new job. At waff, she hears about special programmes for women, such as the “Parental leave and re-entry to work” programme. She decides to take up training to become an accountant. The training is supported financially by waff. After completing her training, Myriam gets a part-time job with a telecommunications company. Her job has flexible working hours, and she can spend time with her children. 

Murat has completed primary school in his home country. A few years ago, he came to Vienna, and since then he has been working as an unskilled construction worker. Now he wants to find a new job. waff advises him about available training courses and financial support. Since he likes to work with other people, he takes up training in the field of nursing and care. Right after completing his training, he finds a job in a nursing home. The examples of Myriam and Murat show that there is a great demand for qualified employees and that they earn good money. And the best thing is that waff supports your further professional training with up to 3,000 euros.

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Training Courses Offered by the Vienna Adult Education Centres and the Public Employment Service Austria
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A broad range of courses is also offered by the Vienna Adult Education Centres. Their programme includes language courses, multimedia courses, and many more. Adult Education Centre courses are not expensive and are partly funded by waff, the Vienna Chamber of Labour, and the Public Employment Service Austria. If you are registered with the Public Employment Service Austria, you can also participate in their training courses. These free courses promote your career development. You can retrain to find a new job, improve your language skills, or gain new qualifications, for example, a computer driving licence or a forklift driving licence. Here is my advice: The Public Employment Service Austria offers a large number of courses. Think of which courses you are interested in before you go to your counselling session. A list of all courses and the “career compass” is available on the website of the Public Employment Service Austria.

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Finishing Your Education
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If you have not completed compulsory schooling, you can attend free basic courses. These courses help you to improve your reading, writing, and maths skills. Courses for completing your compulsory education are also free of charge. Because it will be difficult to find an apprenticeship or job if you have not completed compulsory schooling. In addition, you can complete an apprenticeship at waff or attend an evening school to pass the Matura or university entrance exam. If you have moved to Vienna only recently, you might wonder if your certificates or diplomas are acknowledged in Austria. In this case, book a free advisory session at AST Wien. And if you do not have a Matura or university entrance exam but still want to study at university, you can take a Berufsreifeprüfung, a university entrance exam for holders of vocational qualifications, or a Studienberechtigungsprüfung, a university entrance exam for specific programmes.

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Universities and Universities of Applied Sciences
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Austria’s universities and universities of applied sciences offer more than 3,000 degree programmes: from A as in Arabic Studies to Z as in Zoology. Universities of applied sciences usually have a focus on practice and fixed curriculums. Universities offer a good general education and place emphasis on students’ own initiative. If you are an EU citizen and choose to study at a public university, you will not have to pay tuition fees. If you are from a third country or if you exceed the scheduled duration of a degree programme, you have to pay tuition fees. If you have any questions related to studying at a university, please contact the relevant university or the Austrian Student Union (ÖH). It is a fact that good qualifications will improve your career opportunities. Further information and contacts are available on the StartWien website and in the text accompanying the video.